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Uncovering The Lost Missions: The Disappeared Part 1

Can I just say how sorry I am that it’s taken me this long to getting around to blogging? It just took me sooooo long to do that Summer Reads one that it made me not look forward to doing another blog, even though I knew that the post on this TCW episode one would come easily. And on top of that, a glitch in the site literally made half of the blog disappear! (Ironic no?) So anyway, after being caught up in all the drama of SW-ian war and politics, It was great to step into a lighter, truly unique storyline with an unlikely duo at the helm — Mace Windu and Jar Jar Binks! So let’s get it started as we look deeper into The Disappeared Part 1!NOTE: Contains spoilers from Episode I, Episode II, The Clone Wars Microseries, TCW Episodes The Mandalore Plot, Heroes On Both Sides, and The Disappeared Part 1

So once again, it seems that peaceful planets have trouble staying that way during the war, but it’s not the all-too common Separatist invasion problem this time… some of Bardotta’s Force-sensitive-but-not-Jedi leaders have vanished and Queen Julia knows who she’s gonna call for help… and who that is kinda leaves us all going “WHUT?“. Not Padme, not Bail… but well, Jar Jar. First of all, let me clarify if you don’t already know that I actually do like Jar Jar and don’t have an inch of disdain for him, so if you are like me in that way, you’re safe here 🙂 Moving back to the story. I love Obi-Wan’s response: “WHY WOULD ANYONE REQUEST THE PRESENCE OF JAR JAR BINKS?!”. I don’t think the guy ever managed to warm up to the Naboo “local”, but even so I love his subtlely disdainful comments that he’s so good at making. While no one gets why in “why Jar Jar?”, but they do know the why in the “why not a Jedi”. Evidently the Bardottans weren’t cool with the Jedi taking in their Force-sensitive kids a while back and thus, yeah, they aren’t on speaking terms (why is it all these neutral planets are uncool with the Jedi half the time??). So knowing Representative Binks might be in over his head if something goes really wrong, Mace Windu decides to join the party, even though the Queen wasn’t cool with anyone else coming along. Ah yes, though! The awesomeness it is having Jar Jar and Mace working together! I mean, it’s a perfect concept, really; you have Mace Windu, possibly the most serious Jedi ever, the guy who can tear apart super battle droids with his bare hands and keep a straight face the whole time, the guy who rarely even allows anything more than a smirk to cross his face (and those are, like say, crazy rare to even happen), the guy who generally has everything under control even when he doesn’t. And then you have Jar Jar, innocent, clumsy, but always willing to help, who on the flip side is actually rather wise, just, and sarcastic when he wants to be. And now these two complete opposites are working together! Ah yes, so much funnnn 🙂 Right from the get-go Mace is trying to keep Jar Jar’s webby fingers off the ship controls XD And can I just mention how amazing the character animation is in this episode?? I know it’s always amazing, but something just struck me about the way Mace emotes, and the way Yoda talks, and the way Jar Jar gestures. I mean, wow. Sorry but I have to gush a little per blog, and trust me this is not the last time I’ll be doing that this post. So by the time they got to Bardotta, everyone’s like “heyyyy we didn’t invite the Jedi…”, but Jar Jar lets them know he’s cool with him, and thus Master Windu gets dubbed “servant” for the remainder of the trip 😆 Hahaha oh my… poor Mace! Second to Jar Jar! He’s probably thinking “What weird planet did I just land on?!” but he only subtlely lets in on that in his expressions, and I do mean subtlely. You think someone would’ve caught on that that wasn’t quite the case considering Jar Jar referred to him as “Master Mace is meesa humble servant”… that kinda is an oxymoron isn’t it? IDK anyway, I do want to say that Queen Julia is majorly cool. Her species is really awesome and she has a fabulous sense of style, and her personality is legit! Although the one thing that I can’t figure is how on earth (figuratively speaking) she got a normalish Earth name like “Julia”! Not that it’s a bad name, but beyond names like “Luke” and “Ben” and sorta “Han” it’s not a common sight in the SW galaxy. But I digress, so Jar Jar was able to convince her that Mace is a buddy here to help him and she’s all ” if you’re a friend of Jar Jar’s you’re a friend of me… well, kinda, don’t look too deeply into that. We’re not like, making friendship bracelets or anything”. And with all that said and done, the Queen gets everyone else out of the room so she and Jar Jar can talk. And ohhhhhhhhh myyyyyy goodnesssssss what happened next… she starts off the conversation with “It’s been a long time, my love…” and I’m all O.O and then they don’t really talk much after that ’cause they well, had a moment. So yes I must take a paragraph or two to discuss… “Jarlia” ❤ When Jar Jar was telling Mace how he and the Queen go way back I thought I was reading too deeply into what looked to be a lovey-dovey smile on his face. Turns out I was right on the money. No wonder he got all dressed up today! The great thing about them is that they just love each other plain and simple. So while Anakin and Padme kept their thing under wraps, Obi-Wan and Satine switched between awkwardness and arguing, and Ahsoka and Lux were just having a lot of teen-crush-awkwardness in general, Jar Jar and Julia had nothing holding them back. No rules, no war, no differing viewpoints… LUCKY. So I know we're all wondering how much actual meditating they were doing during that time… Mace's visible eyeroll indicates it probably wasn't enough by his standards. Plus, he's been in the dark about everything they’ve been discussing! Ugh playing second banana to a Gungan already can’t be fun, but being a third wheel to a Gungan/Bardottan couple must be even worse. So that's about when Mace decides to make his own way in to get some word from Jar Jar. Behind the closed door Julia was about to start explaining what she knows about the disappearances when Mace walks in and the Queen will not have it. So now Jar Jar’s in the most awkward position ever and tells her he’ll be having a word with his “servant”. Only as soon as they’re out of sight Master Windu decides to have a word of his own with the Representative. Mace is all “Dude seriously what have you been doing? We’re kind of her on important business, if you haven’t forgotten!” and Jar Jar’s like “WELL I WAS ABOUT TO FIND OUT SOMETHING IMPORTANT BEFORE YOU BARGED IN! For the record, our thing is part of the reason she trusts me with this stuff!”. Mace’s expression makes it clear he’s not buying this much. But by the time Jar Jar heads back to the Queen, she might’ve disappeared. Like, literally, disappeared. And Jar Jar starts freaking out the way only he can. According to some prophecy of the Bardottans they have three days to save the Queen or else an era of darkness will fall across the galaxy (um I guess it’s best we don’t bring up the fact that the Galactic Empire will happen and darkness will fall one way or the other…). But amidst the panic, Jar Jar does his awesome representin’ thing and with a little help from Master Windu on what questions to ask, he’s able to chill out the council. Evidently the prophecy’s origins will take the duo to an ancient cursed temple. For all the confidence Jar Jar had in his speech, he just knows that this isn’t likely going to end well (I mean we are talking about an ancient cursed temple here. Wheeeeeee…) And yeah as soon as he finds a possible clue in the dark shadowy halls of the temple some crazy masked warrior guy turns the gungan invisible. Mace isn’t able to get to him in time, but there’s no ancient stone door that this awesome Jedi can’t open, and off he goes to save his comrade.
So by the time we see Jar Jar again, it’s not long before we can actually see him again, of course he’s in a cage in this dark creepy raging-fire-pit-for-whatever-reason cavern. And as he finds out from one of the captured Force-sensitive Bardottans (who also has an Earth-ish name, Joseph), these cult crazies are actually sucking the Force out of them one by one as a sacrifice. Um, RUDE. So it’s safe to say they’re all in trouble. Thankfully, Jar Jar has his comlink on hand and Mace is on his way… but WILL HE MAKE IT IN TIME?? Wait why’d I just do that this isn’t where the episode ends… forget I said that. Though yeah Jar Jar might be next in the Force-removal line, even with him not being the most Force-sensitive guy in the room. But to answer the last question yes Mace makes it in time, just at the last second. And before he knows it he’s trying to keep Jar Jar alive and fight the cult dudes at the same time. NBD for Master Windu. Even Jar Jar gets in on the fight, K.O’ing the bad guys in his own klutzy/accidentally heroic manner. And all the while they’re doing this on stone paths right over boiling hot lava, so yeah just another day in the life, right? So Mace was doing his awesomely epic fighting and beating the stew out of the cultists until the last one turned tail and ran away from him. Jar Jar had finally gotten on his feet to try and save the Queen (who is thankfully still alive for the moment), but the baddies managed to grab her and get her aboard their ship before Representative Binks could do anything. Oh noes.
Returning to the council, Jar Jar reassures them that, along with his Jedi friend, they will succeed in his mission and save the Queen and defeat the evil cult and in turn save the entire galaxy! A tall order, but not entirely impossible for this crazy awesome duo. As the two exchange a smile/smirk (you know who did what, most likely), we can only hope for what will happen next and for our heroes to come out of this one unscathed…
And thus ends another awesome Uncovering blog! *Faints, with head slamming onto the keyboard* And hopefully, this will be the end of late-arriving, procrastinated blog posts for a good long ol’ time 🙂 Until next time around…